Theme
Leaven and fermentation are biblically symbolic of sin and therefore cannot appropriately represent the sinless Saviour.
Introduction
This morning we will consider why our church uses unleavened bread and pure grape juice when observing the Lord’s Table.
Our aim is to build the biblical case by following three simple questions:
- What Does Leaven Symbolize in the Bible?
- Was the Lord Jesus a Sinless Sacrifice for Sin?
- What Do the Elements of the Lord’s Supper Symbolize?
What Does Leaven Symbolize in the Bible?
1 Corinthians 5:1-8
To understand the symbolism of the Lord’s Table, we must first understand how Scripture uses leaven.
The Apostle Paul addresses this subject while rebuking the church at Corinth for openly tolerating serious sin.
The Context for the Symbolism
Paul begins the chapter with these sobering words:
“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you…”
The church at Corinth existed within one of the most morally corrupt cities of the ancient world.
In fact, the word “Corinthianize” came to mean to live a promiscuous, dissolute, or sexually immoral life.
Sadly, the culture of the city had begun influencing the church.
Sexual immorality had become commonplace among some members, and rather than grieving over it, they had become proud of their tolerance.
Paul even states that the immorality being tolerated was of a kind that shocked many of the Gentiles themselves.
Because Paul had founded the Corinthian church during one of his missionary journeys, he had both the authority and responsibility to correct this serious problem.
The Meaning of the Symbolism
A Little Leaven Leaveneth the Whole Lump
Paul compares tolerated sin within the church to leaven working through bread dough.
Even though only some members were directly involved in the sin, its corrupting influence affected the whole congregation.
1 Corinthians 5:6
“…A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
Paul deliberately uses leaven as a picture of the spreading, contaminating influence of sin.
In biblical times, leaven referred to fermented dough that caused fermentation to spread throughout the entire batch.
Today we generally use yeast, but the illustration remains the same.
Fermentation changes whatever it touches.
In the same way, sin spreads corruption wherever it is permitted.
This principle becomes especially important when we later consider the elements used in the Lord’s Supper.
Leaven as a Biblical Symbol
Throughout Scripture, leaven almost always represents sin or false doctrine.
Consider several examples:
1 Corinthians 5:6
“A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
Mark 8:15
“Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”
Leviticus 2:11
“No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven…”
Exodus 34:25
“Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven.”
The consistent biblical picture associates leaven and fermentation with corruption rather than purity.
Keep this principle in mind as we move to the next question.
Was the Lord Jesus a Sinless Sacrifice for Sin?
Before considering the symbols of the Lord’s Table, we must first establish what they represent.
Did Christ Die for Our Sins?
The Bible repeatedly teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ died as the sacrifice for our sins.
Consider these passages:
1 Peter 2:24
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…”
Hebrews 9:22
“…without shedding of blood is no remission.”
Isaiah 53:10
“…when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…”
Romans 5:8
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
These Scriptures leave no doubt that Christ died to bear the penalty for our sins.
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Was Christ Sinless?
The Bible is equally clear that the Lord Jesus Christ was completely without sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21
“…who knew no sin…”
1 Peter 3:18
“…the just for the unjust…”
Hebrews 4:15
“…yet without sin.”
1 Peter 2:22
“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
Jesus Christ is the spotless Son of God.
Although His enemies constantly searched for grounds to accuse Him, they could never prove a single sin.
Even the false witnesses who testified against Him could not agree with one another.
Ultimately, He was condemned because He claimed to be the Son of God.
Why Christ’s Sinlessness Matters
If Christ had possessed even one sin of His own, He could never have died for ours.
Every sinner must answer personally for his own guilt.
Scripture repeatedly affirms this truth.
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death…”
Ezekiel 18:4
“…the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
Romans 5:12
“…death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
If Christ Himself had been guilty, He would have needed to suffer for His own sins rather than ours.
The manuscript illustrates this with the picture of two prisoners both sentenced to life imprisonment.
One prisoner cannot serve the other’s sentence because he is already under judgment himself.
Only someone completely free from guilt can become another person’s substitute.
That is precisely why Christ’s sinlessness is essential to the Gospel.
What Do the Elements of the Lord’s Supper Symbolize?
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Having established that leaven is consistently used in Scripture as a picture of corruption and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the sinless sacrifice for sin, we can now consider the symbolism of the Lord’s Supper itself.
The Unleavened Bread
The Bread Pictures Christ’s Body
The Lord Jesus explained the significance of the bread when He instituted the Lord’s Supper.
1 Corinthians 11:24
“Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.”
The broken bread represents the broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Isaiah foretold His suffering centuries before the crucifixion.
Isaiah 53:5
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
The bread is symbolic of Christ’s body.
It does not become the literal body of Christ, as taught in Roman Catholic doctrine.
Rather, it serves as a memorial, reminding believers of His once-for-all sacrifice.
Why the Bread Is Unleavened
Because the bread represents the sinless body of Christ, it ought to reflect His perfect purity.
Throughout Scripture, leaven consistently pictures sin and false doctrine.
It would therefore be inconsistent to represent the spotless Son of God with something that symbolises corruption.
The historical setting also supports the use of unleavened bread.
The Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper during the Feast of the Passover.
During that feast, every trace of leaven was to be removed from Jewish homes.
Exodus 12:19
“…there shall no leaven be found in your houses…”
For that reason, the bread used by the Lord Himself would have been unleavened.
The Unfermented Grape Juice
The Cup Represents the New Covenant
The cup symbolises the New Covenant established through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
His blood alone provides the atonement for sin.
The writer of Hebrews draws a direct connection between Christ’s sacrifice and the Old Testament sacrificial system.
Hebrews 10:19-20
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way…”
Just as the Old Testament high priest entered the Holy of Holies with sacrificial blood, believers now enter God’s presence through the shed blood of Christ.
The cup therefore points to the once-for-all sacrifice that secured our redemption.
Like the bread, it is symbolic.
It does not become the literal blood of Christ.
It reminds us of the blood that was actually shed at Calvary.
Matthew 26:28
“For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
Why We Use Unfermented Grape Juice
The manuscript argues that the contents of the cup should appropriately represent the sinless blood of the Saviour.
When instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus referred to the contents simply as “the fruit of the vine.”
Matthew 26:29
“But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine…”
The Lord did not call it wine in this passage but “the fruit of the vine,” and spoke of drinking it “new” in His Father’s kingdom.
The manuscript argues that this expression points to fresh grape juice rather than fermented wine.
Since fermentation requires the same process symbolised by leaven, it concludes that unfermented grape juice more appropriately represents the sinless blood of Christ.
The manuscript also notes that alcoholic wine is produced through fermentation, during which yeast converts the natural sugars of grape juice into alcohol.
Because fermentation is presented throughout the sermon as a biblical picture of corruption, the author argues that fermented wine does not provide an appropriate symbol of the spotless sacrifice of Christ.
The manuscript further observes that methods existed in biblical times to slow the fermentation process and preserve fresh grape juice, and that wine was commonly diluted before being consumed.
Finally, it argues that since fresh, unfermented grape juice is readily available today, there is no reason to use a fermented element that, in the sermon’s argument, weakens the intended symbolism of the Lord’s Supper.
Conclusion
In our church, we use unleavened bread because it appropriately represents the sinless body of the Lord Jesus Christ that was broken for us.
Likewise, we use unfermented grape juice because it symbolises the precious, sinless blood that Christ shed at Calvary to make atonement for our sins.
As we gather around the Lord’s Table, these simple elements remind us not only of Christ’s sacrifice but also of His perfect holiness.
The bread and the cup direct our hearts to the spotless Lamb of God, who willingly gave Himself in our place so that we might have forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Him.